Gameday, baby ... is it possible the best quarterback in tonight's ASU-OSU game is Lyle Moevao?

SATURDAY morning, ... it is more than seven hours before kickoff. If you have already started tailgating, and have popped the tab on your first beer, bless you. But please let somebody else drive tonight, OK? .. the O.'s Mike Tokito, part of tonight's coverage team, is also covering OSU's exhibition opener against arch-rival Saint Martin's Sunday night at legendary, sand-blasted Gill. .. .he's the guy who needs a beer.

What they're saying on ESPN ... "Lyle Moevao might be the best quarterback in the Pac-10, as crazy as that is.'' - from Todd McShay.

Question(s) of the day: Arizona Republic ASU beat writer Jeff Metcalfe asks the same question this morning that thousands of angst-ridden UO fans have been asking themselves for weeks ... yes, the Ducks have a Top 25 ranking, but is it possible Oregon State - which has beaten USC - is the superior team? ... hey, we all wonder about that. .. is Nov. 29 Faber's revenge, or simply a third straight butt-kicking administered by Riley's guys?

And yes, I was serious .. .if Bellotti loses again in the Civil War game, he should swap salaries with Riley for the ensuing 12 months.

OSU's Lyle Moevao ... is not only the best Samoan flinger, but the best QB, period, in the Pac-10?

The Sun Devils are trying to avoid their first six-game losing streak since 1929, a year that reminds me of what is currently happening to my 401K.

- OSU is 3-1 in the Pac-10 for the first time since 2000, when current ASU coach Dennis Erickson had that magical year and went 11-1.

- senior tackle Tavita Thompson, who missed 13 games and a full year after the NCAA declared him ineligible last October for ingesting a banned substance (diet pills), is back in action today for the first time since he played in OSU's 31-28 upset of No. 2 Cal in Berkeley last Oct. 13.

- Numbers ... OSU has a six-game winning streak at Reser. ... the Beavers have outscored opponents 132-17 at home in their last 13 games. ... ASU has QB-gobbling defensive end Dexter Davis, but keep in mind OSU has attempted 238 passes and only been sacked eight times. ... that is an average of 29.75 attempts for every sack, the best mark in the Pac-10.

... over the last two-plus seasons, OSU is 17-4 in games played in October, November, and December, and tied with USC with the best W-L mark over than span.

... OSU coach Mike Riley has 51 career wins at the school, which ties him with the late Dee Andros on the Beavers' all-time list.

... you know the Rodgers brothers have been a sensation since they hit campus. James' fly sweeps were a big part of the 2007 team's offense, and now little brother Jacquizz is trying to become the first freshman to lead the Pac-10 in rushing.

In seven games, the Rodgers brothers have accounted for 1,565 yards (James, 577, and Quizz, 988) ... which amounts to 51.6 percent of OSU's total offense.

Our own method of counting down the hours until kickoff ... Fright Weekend on the AMC channel, and "Celebrity Near-Death Experiences'' (another Comcast exclusive?) ... I thought my wife was a bad driver. Then I saw Ozzy Osbourne on that ATV.